I recently bought Steve's book "How To Barbecue" and have a questions for you all.
Many of the techniques in his book call for Indirect Cooking. Here is my question. When using the indirect cooking method in a horizontal smoker such as the Brinkman Pitmaster Deluxe would you set up with the charcoal in the firebox to generate your heat and smoke or would you set up as a grill with the charcoal in the main box separating the coals into two zones and cook in the center of the grill?

RichD,
It’s a matter of Temperature and Time. If you use the method Steve suggested, you’ll be cooking at much higher temp and thus the food will cook quicker. If you’re using a smoker, then you’re cooking at much lower temp and the food will take longer. I have a horizontal smoker as well. And in the instruction book, they give two charts, one for cooking with an off set firebox, and one for indirect cooking inside the food chamber. The time on the second chart is much shorter than the one with the firebox. For example, a 12 lbs turkey would take 2-3 hours using the main chamber and the indirect method, and 5-6 hours when using a side firebox (per instructions).
I hope this answers your question.

For example, a 12 lbs turkey would take 2-3 hours using the main chamber and the indirect method, and 5-6 hours when using a side firebox (per instructions).

I think thats assuming you are using the side firebox method for low & slow. Sometimes I'll fill my side firebox with a load of wood and get that thing roaring hot! (600 +) I like to do whole chickens this way.

Indirect is grill roasting. This involves temps. one would use in an oven. With the added flavor from the fuel. (and it's not heating up the kitchen)

Smoking is a low to medium temp. technique for introducing the flavor of the fuel and the benefits of slow cooking (think crock pot here guys, it ain't that different), which break down the meat fibers and render it more tender.

YB

Wed Apr 07, 2004 12:40 pm

Guest

Having read my original question and all of your responses I think I kind of missed what I really wanted to know.
I do understand that Indirect Grilling cooks at a higher heat and is like roasting. I think what I was really trying to get at is for recipes that call for the Indirect Grilling technique can you use the Smoking technique and achieve similar results in taste and tenderness?
I will be getting a Brinkmann Pitmaster Deluxe very soon and can't wait to try out some of the recipes in Steve's book.
In the mean time I am going to do a beer can chicken and barbecued cabbage on my gas grill this weekend.

Yes, you can definitely use the smoking technique and achieve similar results in taste and tenderness. I believe it tastes even better because as BBcue-Z mentioned "It’s a matter of Temperature and Time." Using the offset your temps will be lower (Unless you start a large fire) therefore your cooking time will be longer. The longer times allow foods to absorb more smoke and flavor.

The beer can chicken, BBQ'd cabbage, etc. require the indirect method but I've used my smoker to cook them with great success. Just keep in mine that it will take longer than the times recommended in the recipe and start cooking earlier to compensate.